Anguis Chronicles: The Shang Mouse
by Lady Anguis
Summary: Summary's are hard. If you don't want spoilers, don't read. Alanna meets this cute, girl, Sayo, Shang Mouse, who goes to Tortall. Sayo is always cute and cheerful until one day her country makes her an ambassador. I like Raoul. Who's with me? Please R+R.
1. *

Chapter One  
  
[Disclaimer: None of the characters so far belong to me except Sayo, who does. The rest are property of Tamora Pierce. I hope you read and review this, because I have a good feeling about it, and I hope to continue it. Please review. I am seriously trying to improve my writing. Be as harsh as you can]  
  
*************  
  
Blows rained down, and were returned, more skillfully, but fewer, as Alanna the Lioness fought. The few coins she was carrying spilled into the dirt, and her horse was limping. That worried her, for her destrier was more valuable to her than any money.   
  
A slash flew across her right shoulder, and it didn't hurt, which was a bad sign. Her arm went coldly numb and she could feel blood seep across her chest. She switched the sword to her left hand, and tucked her right into her jacket. She found a warm, violet glow of magic and set it solely to keeping her alive. Her horse reared, in fury and pain. Three attackers lay dead, but there we 10 or more left, encircling her, knowing that they need not attack; she would exhaust herself or die of blood loss soon.   
  
//You're getting old, Lioness// she told herself fiercely, bringing a pained smile, which burned at her attackers. She forced her right hand to take the sword, useless and cumbersome with the attackers out of reach, and with her left  
reached into a tall boot. 3 knives? Ah, there was the fourth. //Take a few out with me// she though and threw.  
  
Alanna was not as good a hand with throwing daggers as the husband who had taught her, particularly not left handed and dizzy from blood loss, but luck was with her as she hit three of her four targets. The attackers went wild; this small, ordinary woman should be dead right now. Two more fell to a skilled left-handed sword attack. //I can go out with honor, at least// she though, her gift faint and dying, her arm barely able to hold her sword. //I wish--//  
A crack across the back of her neck cut off her thought and her consciousness. She was only barely aware, as she fell, one of her attackers falling from his horse with an arrow in his back, and the sound of rapid hoof beats.  
  
  
**************  
  
"Hey, hey, take it easy, darlin'! You're hurt!"  
  
A hazy red fog circled Alanna's vision. Bandits. Dammit. A public road, no less...and now she was bleeding from a nasty cut to the shoulder and her horse had stepped on one of those evil spikes the used to trip horses. She had been losing, there were nearly 10 of the bastards, and someone had hit her on the head...someone had helped her, hadn't they? She tried to get up, and the sudden motion caused an even more sudden lack of consciousness.  
  
  
"Hey, magic girl!" a woman snapped, not unkindly. "You have to wake up." She did not recognize the voice. A woman, friendly and open, with an odd accent she couldn't place.  
She was cold, cold and wet, and if a large bottle of water had recently been poured over her.  
  
And then, a resounding, forceful slap to the cheek, and her mouth was full of brandy.  
  
"No, darlin', that's brandy. Good brandy, too. You drink it, you don't spit it out. Wake up, and take care of your horse. He's a good fellow. Take care of yourself, too, I should think." Another slap, lighter, but followed by a steady rhythm, alternating cheeks. "Wake," slap, "Up!" slap "Wake," slap, "Up!" slap, in a cheerful voice.. She blinked, muzzily, and groaned.  
  
"Atta girl. You aren't hurt too bad, you just got hit on the head, and you aren't bleeding anymore, though you lost a lot more blood than anybody should be able to, hmm?"  
  
"Gift," she tried to say, but could bare croak. Her message seemed to be understood.  
  
"Ah, yes then."  
  
Alanna took control of her limbs, which felt like needles and pins, and opened her eyes. A young, open face looked at her with friendly concern.   
  
"I...yes..." she tried to stir, and was supported carefully, and fed more brandy, which she managed to swallow. "Thank you," she rasped.  
  
"Not at all. But you'd best get up, now. This ent a safe place, you know, and your horse needs to be taken care of."  
  
Buzzing from brandy and head wound, Alanna rose to her feet, and stumbled over to her horse, waking inch by inch as she did.  
  
The other woman lifted up his hoof carefully to check how badly the damage went, and was relieved to see the spike was not in too deep. Together the got it out, and Alanna carefully healed her horse, and then, as an afterthought, her shoulder. Fully awake, if in pain, she turned to get a look at her savior. The girl was small, shorter than herself, thin and willowy. She was quite pretty, with a dazzling grin, and huge, innocent, soft honey-brown eyes. Her light brown hair was in a braid a little past her shoulders and her skin was a soft tan. She saw the glance, smiled, and bowed.  
  
"You'd be a certain Lioness, no? Pleased to make your aquaintance. Sayo Madison, at your service," she said, and rising, added, "Maddy."  
  
Definitely unusual. She was dressed in a tunic and loose trousers, respectable and worn, but her horse was a magnificent creature, a bay stallion far too tall for her. Her full saddlebags gave the impression of a traveler. Not a thief? That would explain the clothes and the horse...  
  
She reached into one of the bags and pulled out a pair of fingerless leather glove/gauntlets. She held her hands up so that Alanna could see the markings on the back of each.  
  
"Sayo Madison, the Shang Mouse."  
  
  



	2. **

Chapter 2  
  
  
[Same disclaimer. Why bother typing it again? As always, please review]  
  
  
*************  
  
"Sayo Madison, the Shang Mouse."  
  
"Alanna of Olau and Pirate's Swoop at your service and in your dept," said Alanna, slightly taken aback. The Mouse laughed.  
  
"What a prim puss, haven't we got?" she chuckled. "Ah, think nothing of it. Savin' the innocents and all that that we Shang fighters much uphold and so on. Bunch of fussy gits," she said with a fond smile. "And I shouldna be sayin' that to a knight like yourself, miss, should I? I'm more of a wanderer than anything else. Talk a lot, don't I?"  
  
"Yes," said Alanna with amused dryness, still occupied with trying to place the girl's odd accent.  
  
"Well, you know, had no company but the pony for quite a while you know. He bites me when I talk too much. I suppose you could try that." She patted her   
"pony", a huge stallion whose shoulder was quite a lot taller than her own.  
  
Alanna chuckled. They were walking further on the overgrown forest path, and she was still feeling dizzy, so she mounted. She glanced at Sayo.  
  
"Are you heading to Tortall?"  
  
"Indeed I am, Milady. Are you asking me to join you, or are you just waiting to see if I am indeed capable of mounting this horse?"  
  
Alanna smiled. Sayo, glacing at her, placed one hand on the saddle and flipped into it with an unbelievable acrobatic ease.  
  
"I suppose he's a big big for a little thing like me, but he would miss me, wouldn't you, Pony?" The horse sniffed. "Shall we continue? I'm not too keen to wait around here."  
  
**************  
  
"'Shang warriors are always welcome in the palace'" Sayo quoted with a snicker. "I love this place. Even if there were some pretty big hints about helping to train pages. When do pages get here?"  
  
Alanna looked at her, eyebrow raised. Something told her the girl was more than she appeared. She certainly had a manipulative streak. A few moments before they reached Corus the girl had stopped to change into her full Shang uniform, although she hadn't personally brought up her saving of the King's Champion's life. Alanna had given up on placing the damn accent, but she would like to know.  
  
Apparently unaware of her enigmatic status, the girl had taken good care of her horse, and left him to his feud with the mean horse next to him, a tall, scarred strawberry roan.  
  
Her rooms were simple, but she was obviously pleased with them. She dumped her saddlebags on the floor, and settled down.  
  
"You, Lioness, may stop tailing me. Go get some rest. Gift or not, you have lost a lot of blood and you need to relax." Another wicked smile.  
  
"I'm not tired, mother. I want to stay up late with you," she joked.  
  
"Alright catling. I suppose you may as well. Tell me a little before about this charming city. I've only been here once before."  
  
"When was that? Were you a Shang Master then?" Alanna inquired.  
  
"Dear, dear. Was that a subtle attempt to find out how old I am? Did an odd, cheerful little mouse like me actually graduate early? What sort of title is 'Mouse' anyway? How dare this common little girl tease the King's Champion?"  
Sayo voice rose in volume, her voice a ridiculous tone, and they both laughed.  
  
"Yes," said Alanna. "And where did you learn acrobatics like that?" Referring to her vault into the saddle. She smile, unrepentant, but something in the back or her mind told her not to ask where Sayo came from.  
  
"Alright. I am 18, and indeed I graduated early. I was 16. The 'mouse' is quite an important position, actually. There have been Shang Mouses--mice?--for many years, but it is rather rare these days. A certain persona must bear it, but not many of them are all that interested in Shang." She leaned in close. "And I *am* good, Miss Champion. I am good at a lot of things." She grinned, wicked and charismatic and adorable. "I don't look 16, as I am well aware. Now, go rest, catling. I need to rest, because I am going to help train the darling pages tommorow, aren't I? Go on, darlin'."  
  
**************   
  
"You beastly creatures are back for another year, are you?" asked the Shang Wildcat dryly. "I suppose we are stuck with you." There were far too many boys for the two Shang teachers and their training master, Lord Wyldon. She told them so. "And I expect you to-"  
  
"Oh dear! Sorry, sorry, sorry," Sayo cried as she dashed toward the training yard. "Sorry!" She stopped at the door, glanced at the already assembled troops, and bit back a bad word. "Sorry, sorry, sorry!" she howled, lacing her boot and hopping towards the other Shang, and a training master with a very displeased expression. "Oh dear gods I am *sorry*!"  
  
Sayo caught her breath, calmed down, and bowed low before Wyldon, Eda Bell and Hakuin Seastone. "Your forgiveness, my Lord," she said, eyeing the training master, her eyes round and humble as a cornered rabbit. The entire palace had been finding her cheerful charm irresistible, and even he was not completely immune, apparently, as he simply stated "Continue the training with no more interruptions," and stalked out.  
  
Still panting somewhat, Sayo turned to her fellow Shang, the expression on her face that of a repentant puppy.  
  
"Oh stop that, Mousy," said the Wildcat, not quite able to hide her amusement. "We know you're not really sorry."  
  
Hakuin simply smiled and patted her on the head.  
  
The older boys assigned 'Mousy' to oversee their drill were skeptical. She watched absently as they partnered up for staff work, and said something vaguely about not breaking fingers. But as they began, she was correcting them, in a mild, cheerful voice; stances, grips, swings were all adjusted carefully-she wasn't a good teacher, but she knew what she was doing. They found themselves behaving perfectly as they went through unarmed wrestling, throws, punches and blocks because she took it for granted that they were going to. They were amazed at their exhaustion at the end of the day, while Sayo, cheerfully oblivious to all of it, and fresh as a daisy, went for a drink with her fellow Shang Masters.  



	3. ***

  
  
  
"Free day? Oh, dear, and you're going to take little Maddy to see you're city, aren't you, Lioness?"  
  
The Lioness, early in the morning, and groggily going through her exercises, found herself agreeing to...take Sayo shopping. Shopping?  
  
"Aye. I need a few trinkets for my family. It's winter festival, soon, and I need to get a few presents."  
  
Alanna decided that getting some shopping done early wouldn't be too bad, although she had an inkling of the sort of adventure she was likely to have.   
  
Two weeks in the palace had proved that Sayo had no sense of social order, (or rather, a very good sense of when not to listen to it); the new pages were learning the basics in a whirlwind of chaos; nobody brought it up, perhaps, because they were doing a little better than 1st years did, or, perhaps, Sayo was so wholly charming that no one wanted to. Even Wyldon, with his acknowledged distrust of female warriors seemed to like her. She was pretty and smiling and charismatic.   
  
"Shouldn't you be doing your exercises, Ma'am?" Sayo asked mischievously, breaking Alanna's reverie.   
  
"Hmph. Shouldn't you?"  
  
Sayo did a backflip, landed, touched her toes and flipped forward again. She eased Alanna's heavy practice sword out of the woman's hand before her reflexes kicked in, and went through an elaborate pattern-dance with it, backing away and flipping with unbelievable ease. Her dance came to a halt with a jolt as the blade stopped inches away from the nose of the tall man who had just entered the door.   
  
"Hello," he said, eyebrow raised, unperturbed.   
  
"Hello," said Sayo, carefully lowering the sword and handing it back to Alanna.  
  
"Alanna I need to talk to you. Nothing important, just some updates."  
  
"Of course, Goldenlake. Give me an hour, Sayo?"  
  
"Naturally. You haven't warmed up, enough, though. A grandmother like yourself needs to keep in shape." Not waiting for a-possibly violent-reaction, the Mouse scurried away.  
  
**************  
  
"A spice cake! Perfect for the winter festivals." Sayo was loaded with trinkets and perishable baked goods. "Earbobs for my sisters. The metalwork here is not terrific, but the stones are good. We don't see pearls much at home. Ah," she breathed, finding a bookstore. "For parents. I'm done."   
  
Loaded with packages, Sayo set down to wrapping them. It took her nearly an hour, in the bright, packed city to find a courier willing to take them to her home (wherever that was; Alanna still didn't catch it), and she paid nearly as much to ship it as she had to pay for it.  
  
Alanna was not sure how they ended up at the Dancing Dove.  
"You, um, don't know what that place is..." she cautioned quietly, as they stood at the doorway; she should certainly do.  
  
"Course I do, darlin'," Sayo chirped. "It's the one place I'm likely to get a free drink in this town, and I'm all out of nobles."  
  
"Out?"  
  
"Used more than I thought I would for shipping that stuff. Why do I need money? Shang generally don't."  
  
"But this place..."  
  
"Old friends of mine. Why do you mind? I know who you're married to."  
  
That seemed to close it; with misgivings but also a sense of delight, Alanna followed Sayo into the dimly lit common room of the thieves' inn.  
  
"Maddy!"  
  
"Kit!"  
  
A tall, handsome figure lifted Sayo like a little girl several feet above his head.  
  
"Hah! You have not grown at all, little Maddy!"  
  
"I'm a Shang Master. I oughtn't to consort with the likes of you, should I. Oh, this is-"  
  
"I know," he said with a grave smile. Alanna nodded.  
  
"Um, alright, Alanna, this is Kit. He's the new ki--"  
  
"I know."  
  
Sayo looked at them, shrugged, and headed for the bar, her wide grin glowing white in the dim candlelight.  
  
**************  
  
"Ooooooooh..." she howled.  
"When you need a Sword, the Lion's sure,  
When you need a fist, Wildcat ain't poor,  
For a fight, its Dragon ye'll call,  
But what when you need somebody small?  
  
Where is Mousy when we need her?  
She'll be back, because we feed her!  
When you don't need Brutes,   
Ye just need Cutes  
Mousie'll be there if you heed her."  
  
She had a charming voice, even in this drunken, narcissistic song, and more than a few patrons of the bar seemed familiar with it. It seemed to be about Shang, although Alanna wondered about the 'Lion'.  
  
"Oh, when you need a spy you call the Snake,  
You call the Bear if there's things to break,  
A Unicorn, there's Griffin, too  
But what if they're not right for you.  
  
They save the innocent  
What if you sin a bit?  
Need that smile, just wait a while!  
  
There are Swords, there are Strongs  
There are Goods to fight the Wrongs  
A Lion, a Dragon, strong and tall  
There are big and wonders, all...  
And there is Mousy, smiling and small...  
When you've got a hero, big and tall;  
Up 'gainst a, a, wall  
What gall...  
  
HE'S GOT FURTHER TO FALL!"  
  
The song slurred into semi consciousness, although the last line was shouted crazily into the evening, with a heavy beer mug slammed so violently it's contents foamed onto the table. For her size, Sayo had a good head for alcohol, but she had been drinking steadily for hours.  
  
"You can get her home?" the new King of Thieves asked anxiously. "I could help."  
//One of Sayo's old friends? I have a lot to ask her.// Alanna thought bitterly.  
  
"No, thank you. I can manage. She can walk a bit, and she doesn't weigh very much."  
  
"Alright. Tell her I'm glad she's around. Perhaps she'd care to come by again."  
  
"Keep an eye on her if she does."  
  
He grinned, kindly, and saw them off. The fading light, a back entrance and a touch of magic got them into the palace unnoticed. Alanna laid Sayo on her stomach in bed and went to her own rooms to deal with her mild headache.  
  
  
  



	4. ****

  
  
She was a few years younger than Sayo, and quite a bit taller. She walked to the stable next to Pony's; as Sayo, oblivious and feeding her horse a few bites of stolen sugar. The tall girl was taking care of the tall, scarred horse when the diminutive Sayo approached.  
  
"You, girl," she snapped, her eyes smiling on slightly, her mouth in a cartoonish frown. "I want a word with ye. Your beastly horse has been tormenting my poor Pony!"  
The girl eyed the huge, black horse. 'Pony'? The small part of her that observed things when her thoughts were elsewhere had assumed that the black was the destrier of some visiting knight when she had come in last night. Now, some tiny woman was ranting about Peachblossom bothering it? Just as, muddled, she prepared a response, Sayo interrupted.  
  
"That beast has been cared for by hostlers for weeks, poor boys. Where have you been? Why did you inflict him on them? And my poor Pony has been an innocent victim of placement!"  
  
A man, very tall, in the blue and silver of the King's Own walked into the stable, bemused.  
  
"Who are you and why are you snapping at my squire?" he asked.  
  
"Who are you and why don't you keep an eye on your squire, and not allow her to have this beast terrorizing the stable?" Sayo asked, with more spirit than grammatical correctness or clearness.  
  
He laughed falsely. "I am Raoul of Goldenlake and Malorie's Peak, commander of the King's Own," he said.  
  
"I am Sayo Madison, Shang Mouse," she said, and, as all Shang, help up in her fist in their salute, to show the Shang globe on her gloves. She realized too late that she wasn't wearing her gloves. Glancing at her bare arms, she drew herself up, and said "Take my word for it, ok?" and broke out laughing.  
  
The tension broken, Raoul laughed for real, a deep, pleasant sound.  
"And the girl with the 'beastly' horse is my Squire, Keladry of Mindelan."  
  
"Hello," said Sayo politely, as if she hadn't just been haranguing her.  
  
"I am sorry Peachblossom has been such a bother to your, uh, 'Pony'."  
  
"Hmph," said Sayo, but her amusement and good humor was visible.  
  
Sir Raoul eyed Sayo's horse. "Can you really mount him?" he inquired.  
  
"I am tired of people asking me that," Sayo said peevishly. "Of course I can. He's a magnificent horse, once you get used to him, and we can't all be giants." The last comment was directed at both of them. Sayo flipped acrobatically onto her horse, and then flipped off to land in a handstand on the connecting wall between the two stalls. She walked off, with a little wave, leaving them in confused amusement, and with a definite feeling that they would see her again.  
  
  
  
  
  
[Author;s notes: short little chapter, more coming, please review. I am going somewhere with this.]  



	5. *****

  
"No." Big eyed, blank faced. "No," Sayo said dully. "No, no, no, no, no." The elegant, gilded letter hung loosely in her fingers. Alanna looked at her, worried, and asked what was wrong.  
  
"Letter," Sayo groaned, letting it fall. "Lovely, charming, darling precious letter. Burn it. Better yet, burn me."  
  
Alanna gently picked up the hateful thing. What had made the girl so upset? This might actually be the first time she'd seen Sayo without a trace of a smile.  
  
The letter was indeed elegant, in a flowing calligraphy...and another language. "See?" Sayo asked miserably.  
  
"Well, no," said Alanna, handing it back. "What language is that?"  
  
"'Anguis hereby declares its intention to begin a formal embassy to Tortall, in honor of ending the 200 year hiatus in contact between the two countries.'" she read. "The Anguan Royal House has appointed Lady Sayo Irissa Dai Madira as 3rd rank ambassador and translator, in hopes of peace and friendship between the two nations of Anguis and Tortall' and so forth. Basically, I'm the only person they know who has learned your bloody language, so- hey, Sayo, we're gonna take your whole life away!"  
  
"I take it your from Anguis?"  
  
"No wonder you couldn't place my accent, huh?"  
  
"Lady?"  
  
"Er, yeah. Sorry. It was a long time ago."  
  
"Madira?"  
  
"Madison is essentially a translation," Sayo said defensively. She glanced at the letter again, and sank despairingly into her chair. "It won't be forever, I think, just until I can train another translator."  
  
"I knew that we were beginning relations with Anguis, but I didn't pay much attention. What should I know about it?"  
  
"It's a big, secluded island with a history of reclusive business. Very rich in jewels, especially diamonds and emeralds...it has a big, rich, stuffy aristocracy made up of three houses, the royal house and two others...It's a rich country, and artisans are very highly valued. Their metalwork is beyond compare."  
  
"And you ran away."  
  
"I don't want to talk about that. Ask me something else."  
  
"I thought I knew you."  
  
"No you didn't."  
  
"True. Which house are you?"  
  
"Madira. Royal."  
  
"Royal. Princess?"  
  
"Dai. Just Dai. I'm the Queen's niece," Sayo said miserably. She noted Alanna's expression. "She has a lot of nieces." Sigh. "It's just none of them ran away, and learned translating skills in the process." She looked completely downcast.   
  
Sayo reached underneath her chair cushions & pulled out a flask of brandy.  
"A toast," she said glumly. "To the past."  
  
  
  
[Alright! Finally putting a real summary, just, yeah, give away what scraps of plot I've got. Oh well. Please review! This will go pretty well, I think.]  



	6. ******

  
  
"May I present the new ambassadors from Anguis, your majesty," the seneschal said. It was a huge crowd of nobles, in court finery, crowded around the brightly lit center of the huge hall. The King and His Queen waited, glowing with beauty, as the half dozen Anguan nobles descended and bowed. There was Sayo.  
  
She was amazing. She really was a beauty, although few besides Alanna knew how painful this was for her. She had never seen Sayo in a dress before. It was deep wine-red, framed with silver lace, the corset framed with delicate silver scrollwork. The neckline dipped low; silver lace graced her shoulders, where the sleeves, made of several layers of sheer red fabric puffed dramatically, gathered once at the shoulder and once at the wrist, where they were framed with thick silver, attached to the diamond rings she wore on both hands. The skirt was velvet; she was introduced as "Princess Sayo of Anguis" and as she curtsied to the kind, yards and yards of frothy lace petticoats were revealed. Women sighed, and men sat up a little straighter. Her brown hair was pinned under a wirework of diamonds and intricate silver scrollwork, the pattern of which was repeated in her crown, a delicate silver circlet with silver diamond-encrusted patterns across her brow. A single ruby teardrop hung low over her forehead.  
  
She translated the ambassadors' greetings, and, rigid as a board, uncomforatable and miserable, but showing nothing, joined the ball in honor of the new embassy.  
  
She was hung with jewelry. She had not been lying when she said Anguis was rich. It could afford to show off it's princess. Her dress was more beautiful than the Queen's. All of the young bloods asked her to dance, and one unexpected figure.  
  
Sayo glanced up at the extended hand. She was slightly breathless, and was not aided by the imposing figure of Lord Raoul of Goldenlake and Malorie's Peak.   
  
"May I?" he asked politely.  
  
Sayo flushed a little, and extended her hand. She was dwarfed by his height; she was a foot shorter, maybe more. Alanna knew that Raoul was required to be there, but his dislike of social events and his avoidance of court ladies was quite well know. She looked at the way he held her (he was actually not a bad dancer) and the flush on Sayo's face, and immediately came to the right conclusion.  
  
He graciously gave her hand, at the end of an all-too-short song, to an eager young man all but snatching it from him, and relaxed, hidden, for the rest of the evening, unaware of Sayo's glances around the room.   
  
  
**************  
  
There were not enough friendly faces at these things. Sayo was fully miserable. Her dress was heavy and too tight and much too revealing. Her hair was pulled back to tightly and the weight of the crown gave her a headache. People were snatching at her, disguised as it was as dancing. She remembered, very clearly, why she had left Anguis, and princesses, and balls.  
  
Now Raoul was gone. It had been nice to see a friendly face, and he was actually not a bad dancer. Relief came when she was called again to translate, and she broke away from an exceedingly unpleasant rich old Baron. Well, age isn't all that important, she told herself, and wondered why that thought had suddenly come to her.  
  
It was over, finally; the ball, anyway. She had a lot more princess to be, before this was over.  
  
  
[Author; 'k, that last line didn't make any sense. But this is getting better? I should stop worrying so much about reviews, but they can really brighten up a day, you know?]  
  
  
  
  
  
  



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